Painted Faces
by The PTB's Red Fox
Summary: A branching off the 69th-verse and following Seneca Crane as he leaves his family behind for the world of the Capitol. To be read along with Roads Home, and eventually Sparrow's Song. Even if it's Seneca centric fic I have it in general. Disclaimer: I do not own the right to The Hunger Games or its characters, they belong to Suzanne Collins. Just playing in her sandbox.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So what really happened to Seneca? Let's find out shall we? read and reply apply (if it pleases reply if not don't easy peasy!) to this like everything else I write. This one updates a bit skewed for reasons explained in the latest Roads chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter one**

**Never Underestimate the Intelligence of a Fifteen Year Old Girl**

I look out the window of the train. It's not the express train the tributes use to get to the capital. This is the coal train, it has a few passenger cars at the back. Usually kept for the capital citizens that take trips across borders. They think it's all the rage to not be in the lap of luxury to go 'rustic' as they put it. I have a heavy heart, I just left what is left of my family behind me on the platform waving goodbye.

I look at the sole suitcase I brought and smirk. For someone twenty years old I travel extremely light. Toiletries, the tailored suit, a few pairs of jeans and dress shirts. Some family photos, if only I could have fit my little sister in here I would have said I am set.

But she waved me off.

She wasn't crying but her face was so upset even so. It hurt to see her so upset and know I was the reason. But she let me go, she didn't fight me every inch and it worries me a bit. Usually she is the hardest nut to crack, she just doesn't budge and yet…

And yet this time she just didn't fight me.

Maybe she thought she wouldn't win.

"Mr. Crane" I hear the other passenger Garnet say as she comes over. She's pure capital, her eyelashes reach her eyebrows.

"Hello Miss Garnet" I say trying to inject some manner of life into my voice. I haven't slept at all.

She leans against the wall, studying me with her vivid violet eyes. I know I have a few young women back in five that did this same thing. She's sizing me up. I would stand straighter, give off an air of superiority but that was just to humor Ariana. Now my shoulders slump and my mind wonders.

She sighs, "It will be good to be back home" she says, "this will be your first time in the Capitol?"

I start, she finally asks me a question, before she was just eyeing me, "no I've been before, a year ago when my sister won the hunger games"

"oh yeeees I remember, dear little one wasn't she, she upset a lot of bookies when she won, they almost all went bankrupt" she laughs her capital laugh

"well she likes to cause trouble" I joke, "she's notorious for it"

Garnet laughs again, and although I have a smile plastered on my face to be polite I want to sock her in the mouth. To talk about the games that torment my little sister like they are just a common television show.

"So what are you going to do in the capital?" she asks

"Creative engineer" I explain, "designing and trouble shooting shows I guess"

"Oh! You mean for the games?" she says

"Well I don't know if its for the games" I say and her face falls

"I see" she looks at a small watch she has hanging from her necklace, "we should be pulling in soon, I better get my things together"

When we pull in I make to go find a relatively inexpensive hotel for the night until I can flesh out the job, and a place to stay. But as soon as I step off there is a lady in bright yellow clothing with matching hair holding a cardboard that reads "Mr Seneca Crane". I am a bit surprised, but go over.

"I'm Seneca Crane" I say a bit shy.

"Oh! Lovely!" she looks me up and down, "well I can see I won't have to work too much magic on you" she laughs, "I'm Kiary Mcmillan, your stylist"

"I'm sorry?" I do look shocked now, "I think you're mistaken"

"No…nono" she says, "I was assigned you by Janus Claymore the gamemaker, he said his assistant has to look the part"

"What?" so Ariana was right it was for the games, I want to board right now and head home. But Kiary has grabbed my hand, "don't be shy!" she says as she leads me away with my suitcase clutches in her other hand.

_I'm sorry Ariana,_ I think sadly, _I should have known_.

She leads me thru the crowded streets to a domed building. I heard of this building, it's the game center. We head off to a side building where she finally lets go of my hand.

"Just go and introduce yourself" she says, "then meet me in room two-oh-five"

She takes my suitcase with her, so it negates me leaving.

I go in and two men are standing in this lavish office. It's covered in either suede or velour. And there is a desk of dark almost black wood in the middle.

I know one man already President Snow. The last time we met I was wearing an owl costume and he was dressed as some sort of goblin.

He smiles, it seems benign enough, "ah Mr. Crane, made it in one piece it seems, Kiary wasn't too forceful I hope?"

I massage my hand before we shake, "no sir but I think I will have to decline the offer, if it's part of the games that is?"

"What?" the other man says, this must be Janus Claymore, he's tall and skinny. He kind of reminds me of the envoy except he seems to hold himself straighter like he's about to pounce on you and strangle you, "no YOU won't be handling the games boy, just designing the arena, I will be working the games"

I square my shoulders, "even so" I say

"Will you excuse us" President Snow says to Janus who bobs his head and stalks out. When the door clicks shut I want to go and verify it's not locked. Something about Snow unnerves me but I have learned to hide how I feel.

"Will you sit?" he offers me the chair that is part of the desk.

"I'd rather stand" I say balling my hands into fists, what can he possibly say to make me change my mind.

"It must have been hard seeing your sister in the games, so young" he says

"Yessir"

"And all those other tributes dying of thirst or going mad from eating poisonous plants, or a combination of both" he adds

"Sir?"

"Well I was just thinking that knowledge could work to your favour, Ariana's games had to be edited so much because our gamemakers had gone way too drastic on the snakes and the arena. In fact there are only two full copies of those games still in existence. Kept under lock and key" he says

"So you are what? Grooming me to slaughter kids?" I ask

He tsks, "Seneca, what I am offering is a choice, yes the games are a tragic thing, a waste of life, but imagine if we could mold them so the suffering is kept to a minimum?"

It starts to dawn on me, "you didn't like Ariana's game either did you sir?"

He looks uncomfortable, "the outcry from the populous when they saw your little sister watch as her friend die…what was his name again…" he thinks

"Maverick" I say softly

"Yes Maverick poor soul, well they were a pair of tragic heroes, and when he died well the outcry was so violent that we almost had an internal revolt" he adjusts his cravat, "so if we assure they don't die these slow and agonizing deaths it will appease the populous"

"But it's still killing kids!" I look at him, "why not end the games?"

"Treaty of Treason son, its iron clad, the games must go on" He taps my shoulder as he leaves, and whispers, "we could do with someone who wants to be humane at the helm"

He leaves me in the office. I look at the name plate.

This is my office.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Told you the second chapter would be posted quickly, the next one you will have to wait for :P thanks to the four reviewers who were very promp if some were brief …**KL10X, HL98, Quinn** and mystery **Guest**

**Chapter 2**

**Geishas Aren't The Only Ones With Masks.**

I head to room 205 to find Kiary going thru my suitcase!

"Excuse me but that's my stuff!" I snap at her, forget I was just hired so the citizens wouldn't get upset again, forget that I will be working for people who love to watch children get slaughtered.

Now my personal effects are strewn across a floor that I have no idea if it's clean or not. The photos have been stepped on and creased.

I step briskly and take my clothes and effects from her. She seems to be upset by this but she has no right! I bend down and pick up a picture of me and my sister. It's been creased right down the center, how fitting.

Kiary doesn't seem fazed by this. So my anger skyrockets

"Get out of here!" I bellow.

This startles her and she heads out, I could care less about how she feels.

My anger seems to slowly die to anguish as I see how she treated my stuff, the photos are creased and ruined, my jeans and suit are now messy and wrinkled.

There is a knock on the door and a small young woman with red hair comes in.

"What is it?" I snap

She jumps, "s-sorry, Kiary sent me in, she doesn't want to work with you"

"I could care less what Kiary wants" I growl, "she had no right to my stuff"

I take this girl in, she looks almost normal, except her eyes are emerald green and she has small gold tattoos that curl off from the corner them, her hair is a natural red not the flamboyant red I had seen.

"No I don't think she did either" she says as she bends down and pick up a photo of my family, she brushes it although there was no dirt of anything on it. "that's Ariana isn't it?" she says pointing her out, she was only five when this was taken, "she looks really nice" she hands it to me.

I sit down and the girl just stands there calmly, "I can see you don't want to be here" she says looking at me, "neither do I actually"

"Really?" I look at her, "you seem to look the part"

"It's just a façade" she explains, "a mask I wear, I'm here for the victors after they return from the games, I help them look good for Flickerman, I touch up what their prep teams miss because usually they are too distraught when they see their tributes so wasted away" she tilts her head, "I'm Vesta by the way"

"Seneca" I reply and she shakes my hand gently, "so she put you in charge of me?"

She shrugs, "if you want me to be I can try" she says

"They want me to design arenas that will kill the kids more humanely" I reply, "it's like their don't care that it terrorized my little sister"

"They don't because they don't understand" Vesta says, "and they never will, because they just want to see a good show, if they knew it caused lasting damage the capitol would eventually crumble, rumor is the 69th were so devastating to capitol moral all but two copies were destroyed"

"It's true Snow told me, they are under lock and key" I explain.

She is circling me, "can I ask if you shave?"

"I do now, I look pretty scruffy after a few days" I reply remembering when I tried for a goatee and Ariana laughed at me

"Don't for a few days, we can work with scruffy facial hair make it something special if done properly" she says, "you have really blue eyes" she smiles, "that and maybe do something with your hair…yes you will fit right in"

"I don't want to 'fit right in'" I say

"All the good ones don't" she says, "Seneca, I know this is not your ideal job, but think of it this way….if you don't then this slaughter will go on, and all those kids who are killed will die slow deaths that will horrify their families"

I get images of Xania Harris as she says this; how Ariana was so distraught she didn't sleep for almost a week. She was so overcome with grief that we had to dose her with sleep syrup finally so she could rest even if it was dreamless.

If I could keep the grief to a minimum, make it so yes the families would be upset but they wouldn't have to watch from a screen how their children are suffering their last moments….maybe I could redeem myself, maybe I can save my soul.

I look at Vesta, "okay…I'll do it but I want you as my stylist"

She nods, "of course, at your service Mr. Crane"

"Never call me that, it's Seneca okay?" I reply

"Okay" she says, "let's get started Seneca"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks to my reviewers of the previous chapters, **KL10X, Wild, HL98, JB **and** Amber**

**Chapter three**

**Putting on the Mask, and Finding a Refuge**

Vesta I have promoted to personal assistant and as she puts it 'groomer', Kiary quits two days later.

They pay me overly well to do this job, I am sure part of the reason is they expect a lot of us to take part in drugs and drink to deaden ourselves to the job at hand.

I stay sober throughout; I have a modest apartment a short bike ride away from the game center.

My facial hair was something Vesta is proud of. I still picture her standing over me with a special blade that can shave a design into hair. She was smiling down at me.

"Smile for a minute okay?" she asked and I did so, she took a washable marker and drew a line that accented where my mouth quirked up, then she shaved my beard into that likeness.

So even when I look serious it takes the somberness out of my face.

I stay in my office a lot more than Janus would like, but I prefer to be here than in the open area looking down on the map I created. I take full credit for this places. The statistics are better now on lifespan after fatal wounds, suffering is way down.

But I feel empty; I feel I can't face things.

Vesta and I talk a lot at my apartment; I can see now why Ariana trusted Darwin so much. Vesta just listens to me when I can't imagine doing it again.

We talk about how keeping our 'masks' on sometimes is harder than watching kids die.

It hit home the worst this past games (my first) where Tracer won. I know Ariana was a mentor this year. I know why that sword fell from the sky when Oliver was hit.

I can imagine her and Enobaria facing off. I can almost hear the argument. I can see why my sister did that, its Maverick all over again for her. The only consolation she has is to see Jason be killed by Tracer.

She has the perfect weapon for it. One stab in the heart and he will die.

Tracer will win.

And maybe Ariana will have some solace from it.

The final cannon goes off and I leave my office. I close and lock the door as Vesta comes over with my overcoat.

"I have news for you" she says I can't read her voice

"oh?"

"Janus is fired, when Oliver, the boy from five took too long to die, Snow sacked him" she paused, "he hired a new game maker"

"Great who am I gonna be butting heads with now? Some other capital clown that wants to see them do blood letting?"

"No Seneca, he promoted you" she says

My mask becomes my prison.

Vesta can see this has upset me to no end. Not only do I have to orchestrate the death of almost two dozen kids from now on but until I quit, get fired or more likely killed my face is going to be plastered everywhere.

Something I never wanted.

Who wants to be recognized as the one who destroyed families in the districts?

The capitol will love me, I will be poster boy for this massacre each year.

Their praise is not what I want.

I can hear Ariana now, berating me. I miss her and I find myself looking back at my locked door and thinking of my desk where a photo of all of us in costume resides.

Vesta sees my glance and nods to herself. "Seneca come with me; I have to show you something"

We end up in front of a locked door, she instructs me to put my finger on a reader and the door unlocks. It's by biometry….

In front of me is a board of the districts. A series of numbers with blinking lights, slowly pulsating like heartbeats.

"Each light is a victor, the numbers are the annual of their games, district and age" Vesta says

I step forward as she says this, I find her.

69-05-14 that's Ariana, her light is identical to everyone else but to me it's the brightest.

My little star.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Welcome to chapter 4! Thanks go to my reviewers! **Amber, KL10X, Wild **and **JB**

Like I had said when this story started its coinciding with parts of Roads Home and Sparrow's Song. And it ends with Sparrow's Song I don't think have to say why….

With that. Onwards!

Chapter 4

Putting on a show

"Seneca you look fine" Vesta sighs comically. I know she is trying to lift my spirits, but I can't.

Not now. A few weeks and my little sister would have been seventeen. I can't escape her. In my dreams she is lying in a pool of blood and dragged off to some cave or hut. Or she is crying for help but is too far for anyone to hear her. She cries for me, she calls me by name, reaching out a blood soaked hand. Pleading for me to save her. Not to leave her.

Looking fine is all I can do right now.

President Snow had pretty much told me I am obligated to do this interview. To show people her own brother is moving on. The unrest is palpable depending on where you go. Some are putting candles in their windows tonight in her honour.

Some have set up a memorial in the lobby of tribute tower.

I can't even face that place. I have my shutters closed to that sight.

I can't face the victor's. Some are in the audience tonight. What do they expect from me? To cry? To slander her?

That's what Snow wants. He made that very clear. I was not to go into depth about her. Skirt the issue, avoid at all cost talking about how a completely innocent sixteen year old is dead.

"How can I avoid talking about her?" I mutter, Vesta catches it, I damn her hearing. She can hear a pin drop a mile away sometimes. She gets my coat and helps me with it.

"Remember what we went over. Talk about it like a game, who to bet on, why and all that. If she comes up diffuse it, Caesar will probably want to talk about her. You can call her special but don't start raving about how it was unjust, it will just get people roused again" she straightens my tie, "we can talk about her as much as you want after okay? Away from the cameras"

"Why does snow hate her? Even in death she still seems to annoy him" I can't help but allow a small smirk. My sister could annoy a priest to tears sometimes with her razor tongue.

"He just doesn't like anyone questioning his decisions I guess" Vesta shrugs, "I mean he's been president for a long time, you have to be used to getting your own way"

"Or just paranoid" I counter and she hisses me to shush like an angry copperhead.

"Seneca!" she gives me a warning look and her eyes dart around.

Right, no slandering the president unless we are outside manufactured walls. I take one last look in the mirror willing my brain to be reasonable, to be fair to myself.

But I look at my reflection and the only thing left of who I feel I really am is the eyes I share with my family. My heart breaks again, the thought that these eyes belong to just me now, my sister's will never re-open.

"I can't do this" I say to my reflection

"Yes you can" Vesta comes beside me and takes my hand, "you can Seneca and you will, I know your sister will understand that you have to do this"

"I hope so" I mutter

We get to the theater and after Brutus comes off the stage with Tracker, both shouldering me as they go by, I step onto the stage and wave to the throngs of screaming fans.

Capitol fans.

Some have my style of beard. Others have it painted on. Some had found out what I was wearing and have copied it to some fashion.

"Seneca Crane" Caesar smiles as we settle down, "First year as Game maker how do you feel taking over for Claymore?"

I shrug, "to be honest Caesar it's a challenge" I smile, I try but it doesn't work its way any higher, "to run the games to his standard will be my greatest feat"

We banter about this and that, how to bet, then he brings up the tributes, I say exactly what Snow told me to say. Bet on the careers.

Then he does the thing I wish he wouldn't have…he brings up Ariana

"We have to bring up even if it's not for a week or two, Ariana would be-"

"Seventeen in a couple weeks" I reply shortly, how could he possibly think I could keep composure, Caesar nods solemly, like he held her when she was seven worried about loosing him to the games, that she was the one begging him to stay home safe from the capitol.

"And yet you wouldn't bet on Stephy Kesington of four? She seems to have the energy of how Ariana was in her games" Flickerman points out. Stephy? Sorry but that kid looked scared to death being reaped, she would probably wet herself in the arena.

"Ariana was special, and I knew her better than most, not well enough to know she would have died so young though…she had a spark of life and I just don't see it in Stephy" I reply, and I mean every word, Ari I wish you could hear me, I wish you knew how much I miss you even now, especially now, "you have to be something really special to win so young Caesar, and something that special doesn't come around that often, look at Finnick" I try and dissuade talk of my sister, but Caesar will have none of it.

"If you could talk to Ariana now, tell her something anything what would it be?" Caesar asks, "do you think she'd be proud of you?"

I look at Caesar, shoving all my hurt down into the pit of my stomach willing my face to be cold and clinical again, "I think we ran out of time" I finally say, I get up and walk off stage. The crowd calls for me but I can't.

No Ariana would not be proud of me, she would hate me.

She would tell me that I have been corrupted just by the style I am in now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Hello all! It's been a long time since I updated this one so my apologies!

We come to the end of the story. Brother dearest has had a rocky life, but I think seeing his little sister has sparked something in him (if you don't know what I am talking about you haven't read the other fics so shame shame)

This is a two part chapter because the chapters were too small, so I paired them.

Thank you for your reviews **KL10X, HL, Quinn **and** JB**

Chapter 5 

Part 1

Looking thru the mask

My sister has a mask, she may not acknowledge that fact but she does. It hides how she is really feeling. Having worn a mask for three years I recognize when someone is 'faking it to make it' as Vesta says.

Ariana is a gold medal professional ever since her games.

But now it comes off, I go over to her apartment one night during Peeta's convalescence. I can imagine what these two have to talk about. I think she feels closer to him now than me. She acts more responsible. More in charge when it comes to his well being.

But now the mask comes off and I see how she feels.

Distraught. Apparently she is having a hard time finding a safe place to talk to him and it's troubling her. She needs him right now, I saw this in her when she was little and looking for me to comfort her. But now, it's more reversed, she wants to console Peeta and she can't.

That's what I am getting from her. I think I make it worse when I tell her Snow wants to talk to me when the victors leave for home. Vesta has told me exactly what Ari is saying now.

Run.

Don't go just run away.

I can't.

What I do now defines me more than anything I have done in my life. I know what I can do to redeem myself in my sister's eyes.

I can give her time.

Leaving her place I bee-line to the tribute tower and to the training room. I ask for Plutarch to help me with some men I trust fully and we scour the place for all surveillance electronics we know of and then some. There were pieces in places even I didn't know about but then again this is the capitol and you can't trust anything. I don't explain why I am doing this and when I asked I say its to help Mellark in his therapy, not that I am doing this for my little sister.

Once Plutarch leaves with the men I call Vesta to do the final steps.

We empty the storage and find all the parallel bars and steps we can and put them in a configuration so it's a circuit. She looks at me confused and worried. She has never seen me so worked up. Then again there is something in her eyes I haven't seen before.

When I finish and we head home she looks at me.

"I'm proud of you" she says. "I don't think you know that, but I am Seneca"

I shrug, "It's the least I can do Vest, I wish I could do more"

"Seneca" she stops us outside my apartment block, "I don't think I came across fully" she looks at me and a faint blush appears on her face, thru her shimmering foundation, "I…admire you" she says, "despite what they have you do"

"Vesta what are you getting-" I don't finish because she kisses me. She smells of orchids. Her lips are soft and sweet. She doesn't smell of the dust of Five she is like this flower I have never seen before.

Before I know it we have taken to my apartment and have done thing I have only done once or twice in my old district. True Finnick tried to get me a girlfriend, and Snow said I should have a partner. But I never thought, never believed that my stylist would be my love.

I leave her in my bed the next morning because the final step is on my head alone. I call Ariana as Lexis and ask for a compact. It's her code for that blocking devise she has at her apartment. I had contacted a district three victor Beetee for the information the night I returned from the supper I had had with Ari and he said plugging it into any internal line on that floor would be enough to protect from any missed devises. I had said all this as clandestined as I could. But since I'm a dead man walking its not like I can't bury myself any deeper.

I pick up the parcel delivered by Plutarch, he also gives me my ear piece and comunicator from my job and says someone will be listening for the green light.

My stomach clenches at the sight of Peeta walking with cane into the training room. He looks so frail right now. Nothing like before the games. Ariana is beside him the whole way in. Her brow is furrowed in concern for him. Her eyes never leave him. Until I hear in my earpiece as she says.

"Is it safe?"

"You are completely secure sis" I mutter into my communicator, "go ahead" I barely see her lips curl into a small smile. I haven't seen her smile in so long it brightens her whole face.

I put on the only devise I felt safe a microphone that picks up their conversation. She says "Hi Peet" and that's all Mellark needs to take an unsteady step towards her and they embrace. She's shivering with emotion she has bottled for him for so long. I want to race down and hold her like the brother I am supposed to be but I let her friend console her. I turn off the microphone when he says he thought he had lost her, I can only imagine how much she means to him.

More than I. Much more I feel, because he holds onto her like a lifeline thought long removed. And she him, I never asked to read her journal but I feel sometimes she needed him as much as he needed her. And its not love like I am slowly feeling for Vesta, it's something I felt for Ari since she was brought home from the Capitol hospital eighteen years ago. Family. She loves him like I her, like a sibling, someone you feel need to protect. And she failed like I did, but unlike me she is making up to him in spades. They walk around talking and helping him with the rehabilitation. I get a message in my ear piece as she is looking up at me, I nod her to continue as I feel the bottom of my stomach fall to the floor. President Snow wants to see me as their final interview begins, it was moved up. I swallow and reply saying I will be there. Ariana and I would have had a final meal but I guess this will have to do as a goodbye.

When she return after dropping Peeta off at the hospital I tell her what has happened as I return her device to her. We hug and I feel my little sister bury her face in my shoulder. I tell her I am sorry and she says she understands and that is our goodbye. Our conscience are clear, we are forgiven and apologized to.

I wish I had more time.

* * *

Part 2

Kamikaze

It was either this or be hunted down.

I knew it; Ariana didn't want to believe it.

She said to run.

She doesn't know this would be a relief. To finally let death take me and be rid of the nightly terrors I witnessed. Knowing Trace will be haunted. Knowing that even with her having a child it will only make it worse when he's of age.

I can't take another year of seeing kids kill each other in something I designed.

So when President Snow hissed thru my earpiece he wanted to 'talk' to me, I didn't decline.

My final gift to my sister was a chance to talk to Peeta in safety. I never saw her so relieved, so happy, and so overcome.

Ariana didn't cry unless she was really upset. I guess Mellark hit something that as her brother I never reached.

Maybe she really wanted to protect him. Maybe she needed him to be safe, like a younger sibling, she needed her little brother safe and sound.

I know she will look after him better than I could have ever protected her. They looked up to me. Peeta was torn, I think she had told him I was the game maker. I looked at her and saw that thirteen year old girl who marched to the podium without shedding a tear, not even when I had to say goodbye to her, she was so brave.

I saw that bravery, I knew she would be okay.

I know she will survive, and thrive.

I know she will get what she wants and more.

She is _that_ stubborn. She is that _driven_.

Vesta was torn. When I had ordered that Peeta and Katniss finally win she looked on shocked. I know as soon as I forced the issue it was my life that would be taken. I will miss her, but I think she knew I had to do this. Before I headed for the office I was to meet President Snow Vesta and I shared one last long kiss, full of what we couldn't say with words.

Before I left for this meeting I did a will. Giving my rights to Ariana's money to Tracker, and stating that her money lay in trust until his nephew reaches of age, or that someone of our bloodline comes forward. There is too much money in there, Ariana will never get thru that amount. I also managed to snag a copy of the 69th games, they belong to Ariana, and I think she needs them.

For some reason I know my death will not be in vain. Deep down I know somehow, sometime in the future Ariana will have Snow in her crosshairs.

It's this thought that drives me forward, flanked my peacekeepers to a pair of wooden doors with clean styled handles.

I enter and there is a crystal bowl quarter full of nightlock berries.

How fitting.

"Y'know" I hear in the corner of the room after the doors are locked, "in ancient civilizations people who failed as miserably as you have boy, would have thrown themselves on their own swords" he smirks with his puffy lips. I can't help but give a charming and menacing smile. If I am to die I might as well die with nothing on my shoulders except knowing my sister is alive.

"In ancient civilizations corrupted officials were found and dealt with, you'd be surprised what you can find in a library" I reply taking a few berries in my hand, I don't take them yet, but after I finish insulting this man I want my end in hand.

"Corrupt?" he chuckles

"Is that the reason the games continued for so long? I found a very interesting document" I say softly, almost a threat.

"You don't know what you are talking about" he snaps

"Maybe I don't" I reply, smirking, "I do know though you keep beating on people eventually they will rise up, and I think they have just about had it with you"

We sit across from each other.

"You won't be leaving this room alive Seneca" he says, "you have started something you have no idea about"

"I think I knew exactly what I was doing, saving two lives instead of one" I reply

"You started a revolution" he snaps

"A revolution doesn't start with a handful of berries, it starts when people are threatened, pushed and beaten down" I let that hang

"What are you getting at?" he looks at me his beady eyes searching for the meaning of my words

"You won't know will you, not until it's too late" I smile and before he can lunge forward I down the poison in my hand.

It's slightly sweet, then the bitterness settles in and I fall forward convulsing, he has me by my lapels.

"Spit them out boy!" he snarls

I manage a grimace of a smile and whisper so softly his eyes fill with fear

"Ariana's revolt"

I am surrounded with bright light, and I see two people smiling at me.

Mom and dad.

Dad pats me on my back as we walk away from my corpse, of President Snow screaming into an intercom to unlock the doors.

"Will she be okay?" I ask, they don't need to know who I mean

"Your sister will bring down hell on Snow, don't worry, and she will be fine" mom says

"I mean with me dead, she's only eighteen" I look at dad

"Seneca she was alone long before now, she won't be alone anymore, you have no idea what havoc she will bring the world" dad smiles, the light gets even brighter,

"I just wish I could watch her do it" I say sadly

"You will, you just won't be beside her" mom says

"I'll be beside her" I tell her, "always"

And we are spirited away.

**Second A/U:** not over yet there is a tiny epilogue! Stay tuned!


	6. Epilogue

**Author's note part 1): **I never liked epilogues but I realized this one should have one because we didn't see what happened after he died, I mean vesta and him…and what about other characters? So I decided to do one….

Thanks goes to **Pandora,**** HL **and** KL10X** for last chapter

Epilogue:

Legacy

_Vesta's POV_

I quit the day Seneca goes to meet President Snow. We embraced and kissed. After that night where I forgone all my reservations and showed him how much I care we have become closer. But we never bring it up.

It's been a few weeks.

Too many weeks.

I've missed my cycle.

It was once! I have made love before with others, but I was always careful. And I'm semi regular. I can usually count on it happening the first of each month I've been late before, stress and sometimes despite the bounty of the capitol I barely eat when I worry. But I've been keeping healthy thanks to staying with Seneca.

And I'm late.

And he's gone.

Snow made an announcement at the last meeting I attended for the games to say Seneca has left.

He means he's dead.

Everyone knows it, and no one in their right mind will say it openly.

I run to the pharmacy not far from my apartment to get a test. I hope I'm not but part of me says if I am at least part of him will live on.

I will have a small part of him inside me.

I take the test and wait, I pace and I wait. I get called by Darwin not long after I got home.

He's leaving for Ten, he's moving. Since he's capitol as I am we have certain privileges. We can live outside of the capitol if we want, if we marry capitol and we move our kids don't register. But if we marry district all bets are off.

The egg timer I had timing out that test goes off while we are talking and I almost drop the receiver.

A small 'plus' sign is clear as anything.

Seneca would have been a father.

"Darwin can you get a second ticket?" I ask before I completely break down.

There is a pause, "I don't see why not? Why?"

"I'm coming too" I tell him.

I pack up my apartment I buy a storage and put everything but my suitcase of clothes there.

The day I leave I am sick as a dog, I throw up like someone who had food poisoning. But I know it's morning sickness and it won't go away.

I had called my mom, my dad left us when I was just a toddler. I had told her everything and that I am moving away with a close friend. She is teary; in the capitol even the smallest relation to a victor alive or dead is rare. And she says this makes her Ariana's family, how twisted she can be is beyond me. She pleads for me to stay but I can't not when Seneca risked his life to do the right thing and has died for it.

Darwin welcomes me with open arms. He taught at a fashion school but he quit, he has enough money for district life. And when Seneca was considered gone he left as well.

"So why the need to run off to the fields?" he asks

I'm at odds with myself, I respect Darwin so much as a fellow fashion icon, and how he isn't corrupted like so many.

"I….Seneca and I…we were together before he died" I say softly

He raises a perfectly tweezed eyebrow, "oh?"

I put a hand on my belly, "he was going to be a father Darwin", it's at the point my mask falls completely and I start crying in earnest, "he was going to be a father and he didn't even know! What if I had known sooner?! What if!"

Darwin takes me in his arms, "sweetheart its okay" he hushes as we board, "you'll be okay, I will make sure of it."

**A/N part 2:** yes I know its short and I am not continuing the story for her, if someone wants to continue let me know thru pm and I might help you out but this story has met its end for me.

Thanks go to those who favorited, followed and reviewed.


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